AI Tools Revolutionizing Viral Marketing
Written By: Tom Ogg, Co-Founder and Co-Owner – Travel Professional NEWS
Having been in the travel business for over 50 years, I have seen numerous changes that revolutionized industry distribution. However, AI promises changes so dramatic it is unbelievable. And, if you are like me, the term AI doesn’t really mean much because I am just not sure what it can do for me in my business. Obviously, this article is written not for AI experts, but for the rest of us who just want to figure out what AI can do for our business.
Last year, we took a look at various viral marketing concepts such as email marketing, video marketing, memes, infographics, cartoons and comic strips, QR code marketing, newsjacking, and much more. Now, with the release of thousands of AI tools, the impact on digital marketing has taken on a whole new profile. At that time, apps were not using AI but still created excellent content. Since the release of ChatGPT, which spiked an interest in AI apps for travel agents, ChatGPT has been excellent at researching destinations, sightseeing attractions, theme parks, hotels, and resorts.
While AI apps are a relatively new technology, there has been an explosion of tools you can use to really enhance your productivity and marketing. OpenAI’s new ChatGPT-4.0 gives us a glance at how we will be using AI in our businesses. We all know Alexa as a limited personal assistant to accomplish a variety of chores, but AI is raising the concept of a personal assistant to a whole new level. Imagine interacting with one just as if it were an employee of your business. You can ask it to perform every business chore that you need to accomplish. With access to your computer, the Internet, and a vast amount of stored information relating to your business, all you have to do is tell your AI assistant what to accomplish.
While AI is relatively new, there is no question that it will become necessary for every travel agency owner to integrate it into their operations. The best time to do it is now! So, let’s take a look at what AI can do for your agency. Again, this is meant as an introductory article for those curious about AI.
What AI Can Do For Your Agency
While there are dozens of AI platforms created by various companies like IBM, NVIDIA, H2O, Microsoft, Google, and many more, one stands out as a logical choice for travel agents.
Research and Content Creation
When the original ChatGPT was released, it grew exponentially with over 200,000,000 worldwide monthly users almost overnight. Since then, it has grown into a formidable platform, and with the release of GPT-4.0, it has introduced a glimpse of what the AI future looks like. I have been using ChatGPT since it was first released and find it extremely beneficial. I recently upgraded to ChatGPT-4.0 and love it. The cost for it is only $20 monthly. The platform does just about anything you can imagine, and it is only going to get better.
ChatGPT-4.0 can create any content you can imagine. Let’s say you want to write an ebook about the island of Hawaii for gardeners. You don’t really have to know anything about gardening or Hawaii. Once you have your keyword commands for the book, ChatGPT-4.0 will research and write the ebook. Writing itineraries is a breeze, as is writing detailed information on every property in your itinerary.
As excellent as ChatGPT-4.0 is, there are thousands of niche AI apps that do very specific things that agents can use to wow their clients and add efficiency to their operations.
Text to Voice Apps
If you don’t possess a professional speaking ability, text-to-voice is an excellent way to add professionalism to your content. Short-form videos are an excellent way to drive traffic to your content, as they can be linked and tell a short but compelling story. Here is a link to some of the short-form videos that Travel Professional NEWS uses to drive traffic to content: Travel Professional NEWS Shorts
While there are dozens of text-to-voice apps, Eleven Labs is pretty much the best one. All of the short-form videos were created using ElevenLabs.ai. There are a million and one uses for text-to-voice apps, and I am sure you will find a bunch for your business.
Text to Image Apps
While ChatGPT-4.0 has a fairly robust text-to-image function, Adobe has just released FireFly. With FireFly, you can create images by simply defining the image using keywords. You can change whatever you would like until you have created the image that is perfect for your content. It will give you the option of creating a photo or a piece of art, and there are tons of ways to edit, add, or delete a small part of the image or a major part.
FireFly is now built into Photoshop, making the app all that much more powerful. And, if you subscribe to Creative Cloud and Stock.adobe, you can have FireFly access the over 500 million images in Stock.adobe. Without question, FireFly is the text-to-image tool that you should use. Just search “text to image apps” for dozens more tools that you can use if you are not an Adobe user.
Text and Image to Video Apps
One innovative solution that can help travel agents stand out in this competitive market is the use of text-to-video or image-to-video applications. These tools can transform written and graphical content into engaging video formats, offering several benefits that can enhance a travel agent’s business. Here are some good reasons travel agents should use these apps:
Engaging Content Delivery
Text-to-video apps enable travel agents to create visually appealing content that can captivate their audience. Videos are more engaging than plain text and can convey a story or message more effectively. By turning text into video, travel agents can showcase destinations, travel packages, and experiences in a way that resonates with viewers, making them more likely to book a trip.
Time and Cost Efficiency
Creating high-quality videos from scratch can be time-consuming and expensive, especially for small travel agencies with limited resources. Text-to-video apps simplify this process, allowing agents to quickly generate professional-looking videos without needing extensive video editing skills or expensive equipment. This efficiency not only saves time but also reduces costs, making it easier for travel agents to produce consistent and diverse content.
Text-to-video and image-to-video apps are quite easy to use and create excellent video content that can be used in your content and on social media. While there are dozens of text-to-video apps out there (just search “Text to Video Apps”), one that I would suggest is Designs.ai. This is an excellent app for beginners using text-to-video because it is so simple. This is a great tool for developing short-form video that can easily be resized for each social platform. One of the best and easiest image-to-video apps is Adobe Express.
Text to Meme Apps
If you use memes for marketing purposes, the new AI meme makers are a tool that you cannot afford not to use. If you describe the meme you are looking for, SuperMeme.ai will create it for you. Super easy to use, one can create an awesome meme in just seconds.
These are just a few AI applications that will save you time and money. Look for AI platforms and apps to only become more productive as time passes.